Home Coming
by Chef Erica
Summary: It's been 10 years since Spike's showdown with Vicious. Now, after Julia's death, Spike returns to the Bebop to find a few things have changed. SE, JF
1. Chapter 1

Spike approached the old ship slowly as he worked up the courage to radio and request permission to dock. In all his life he had never been so nervous, this was worse than have a gun pointed at his head. What if they turned him away, or worse, welcomed him with open arms. How could he explain his absence for so long, for 10 years never contacting them, but it was the only place in all his travels he could ever bring himself to call home.  
  
Before he had a chance to chicken out and turn for the nearest planet the radio blared with a familiar booming voice, "Well look what the cat dragged in. I'm opening the bay doors for you to land."  
  
"Well, that was easy," Spike mumbled as he negotiated the controls to his small ship. The Swordfish II easily found its way home, just like it always had. Once inside the ship he climbed out and faced Jet Black, his oldest real friend.  
  
Spike was surprised at the enthusiastic embrace he received and the hard pat on the back Jet gave him with his prosthetic arm, "Hey, Spike, long time no see. What has it been, 10 years? Glad to see ya." Jet was full of surprises.  
  
"I'm glad to see you, too. I hope you don't mind my dropping in like this. All unexpected and everything," Spike asked as he and Jet walked toward the main living quarters.  
  
"Not at all, Spike. We were just talking about you the other day, Faye and me. We were wondering what you had been up to all these years, besides the little tidbits of news that would come in through the wire. We heard about Julia. Sorry man. I know how you felt about her," Jet said as he sat down on a chair and Spike took the couch in front of him, sprawling like he had never left.  
  
"Thanks Jet. It's been three years since she was killed. I'm pretty much over it, besides the 'bent on revenge, Vicious will pay for what he's done,' thing. You know what I mean, right?"  
  
Jet almost laughed, "Yeah, I've got a pretty good idea." Jet got up and retrieved a couple of choice beverages from the fridge, tossing one to Spike. "Things haven't changed much around here. Faye got her memory back right around the time you left. Turns out before her accident she was quite the penny pincher. There was still a bank account in her name and an inheritance was waiting for her from her parents for the express purpose of paying off her debts for the cryo-freeze. With all the interest the accounts had accumulated she had enough to almost completely pay off her debt to the health insurance company. She has been completely debt free for nearly 8 years now."  
  
"Wow, I'm impressed she even paid her debts, why didn't she just take the money and run?" Spike asked.  
  
Jet laughed as he cracked his beer can open and took his first drink. "I asked her the same thing when she came back. She told me it was her lost memories wreaking havoc on her, that they had overwhelmed her with a 'sense of responsibility' and they wouldn't let her rest until she had paid them off. Then Ed and Ein came back and it was almost like old times again."  
  
Spike looked at him confused, "Ed and Ein, I thought they never left."  
  
"Nope, they disappeared together about the same time you did, struck out on her own again with the dog." Jet paused and took another swig of his beer, then sat contemplating the can. "She gave us a good scare though, 7 years ago. Apparently, before she left, she had put a homing beacon in the system and Ein called us. It was weird. The dog kept barking and whining and looking off to the side. The only thing we could figure was that Ed was hurt of something, so we went and picked her up. It's a good thing too, because she was really sick, we thought she was dead when we got there."  
  
Spike listened intently, feeling a little guilty about having left them like that. He was pulled out of his wallowing when Jet continued, "Faye never left her side. She'll never admit it, but she is a regular Florence Nightingale, she always sat by you when you were laid up, too." Spike remembered waking many times to see her hovering in a non-hovering manner, waiting for him to wake up, then he usually had something mean to say to her about it. A grin threatened to cross his lips. "Anyway, she took real good care of Ed, brought her back to full health and everything. We've been together every since. Me and Faye have even gotten married."  
  
"WHAT!" Spike spewed beer across the coffee table, nearly choking as he sat staring at Jet. "Seriously? You're yanking my chain, right?"  
  
"He most certainly is not," a distinctively feminine voice yelled as an older, more mature Faye stepped into the room. Well, mature might not be the right word, but maybe maternal in her oversized t-shirt and jeans. "He is quite serious, thank you very much." Jet jumped up and moved to the next chair so she didn't have to walk as far from the entrance. Faye rolled her eyes, "Good grief, Jet, I'm pregnant, not broken," she sat in the closer chair anyway, causing Spike to grin.  
  
"So how far along are you?" Spike asked as he went to light a cigarette, which was quickly swiped out of his mouth by Jet. They wrestled for it, Faye ignored them.  
  
"About five months according to the Doc. I think Ed is looking forward to it more than either of us. First thing she's really smiled about since Ein died." Spike stopped struggling for his cigarette and looked at Faye. He had liked that dog. "Ed took it really hard. We thought about getting her another dog, but then I got pregnant and Ed never mentioned wanting another, so we decided against it."  
  
Just as he was about to ask where she was he heard a commotion and someone carrying a heavy looking object past the entrance to the living area. "Hey Ed, look who's here," Jet called.  
  
She set the piece of engine equipment down and leaned against it. "Hey Spike," she greeted before turning back to Jet, "Have you seen my soldering iron? It's not where I left it."  
  
"No I can't say that I have, why don't you come in visit with Spike?"  
  
Ed lifted the heavy equipment again, "I'm in the middle of something, and besides, I saw him hours ago circling the Bebop."  
  
"Why didn't you let him in then?" Jet asked, frowning.  
  
"He didn't look like he was sure he wanted to come in, and I was in the middle of recalibrating the weapons system. It really needs upgrading; I'm tired of constantly having to repair the electrical systems. I swear I've been through of more copper wires on this heap," she continued griping to herself as she walked down the hall, her voice fading into the sound of the ship itself.  
  
Spike watched her go, slightly wide eyed. She did not look like the Ed he remembered with her heavy red braid falling down her back, her fitted tank white tank top and jeans. He suddenly felt like the kid at graduation who gets arrested the next day and spends the next ten years in jail, only to be released the day before the reunion. Somehow he had been left behind. "She has aged well," he commented as he watched her disappear down the hall. A piece of wadded up paper hit him in the forehead and he turned to Faye. "What?"  
  
"I know what you're thinking. She won't admit it, but I think she might have a boyfriend. Sorry, Spike." Faye teased.  
  
Indignant, Spike snapped, "I don't know what you're talking about, Faye."  
  
"Sure Spike. Whatever you say." Faye got up, "I'm going to take a nap. I'll see guys later."  
  
Jet stood up as well, "And I need to go find that soldering iron before Ed finds out that I really did take it. Make yourself at home Spike, your room hasn't been touched since you left, so you're welcome back to it for as long as you need."  
  
"Thanks Jet. I appreciate it." 


	2. Chapter 2

don't own.

Spike quickly fell into rhythm with the rest of the family pretty easily, volunteering to help where he could. It took three days to air out his old room, mostly because he found the remains of a half eaten sandwich under the bed. This sent shivers up his spine when he thought of the last time he had forgotten to dispose of one of his meals properly. His room had not been touched by anyone else, as if they were waiting for him to come back. He tried on his old suits and found that they all still fit, all they needed was a good wash.  
  
He also enjoyed watching his friends. He would never have guessed Faye and Jet would hook up, but now that he thought about it, it made sense. Jet was always worrying about her, though he did laugh when she suffered the consequences of on of her minor indiscretions, i.e. food poisoning when she ate the expired foot rations. They bickered a lot, but it was rarely anything serious, and they usually started when Jet treated Faye like a porcelain doll. They were all now used to the phrase, "I'm not broke, Jet, I can do it myself." Poor sop, he was doomed. He would make a great dad, though. After taking Ed in he had plenty of experience. Of course, she was well passed the diaper stage when she joined the crew. Anyway, Spike did spy Jet stealing a kiss from Faye when they thought no one was looking.  
  
Ed boggled his mind; she was almost like a different person. She hadn't gotten very tall, five two at the tallest, maybe, but she had filled out, no longer the gangly beanpole with rubber limbs. Her face had matured as well, leaving her with cat like golden eyes and long eyelashes, and rosy cheeks and lips contrasted by her still deeply tanned skin.  
  
She was still the resident genius, hacking into computer systems and building anything and everything that the ship needed, from new laser guns to a crib for the new baby. She still talked to herself when she hacked, but it was not longer in third person, well, most of the time. And she didn't call Jet and Spike Jet-person and Spike-person anymore. She did still call Faye, however, Faye-Faye, but it was more a term of endearment now.  
  
She wasn't nearly as hyper as she once was either. Jet said most of that had disappeared when she came back from the brink of death. Spike wondered what kind of illness would make the stomach of steal sick like that. She had never even had a cold as far as he could remember.  
  
The Bebop team had become an extremely successful and feared team. They almost never went hungry anymore, and it was never for very long if they did. Jet usually picked the target, and Ed located him or her using the Tomato. Before the pregnancy it was Faye's job to lure them out, but Jet and Ed had been taking turns lately. It was usually Jet who got stuck with the job. They preferred to scare them into the sky because Ed had set up a way to remotely hack into the mono-system of any flying vehicle and shut down everything. Then all that was left to tow the poor soul into the nearest ISSP station and collect the bounty. Spike couldn't have come at a better time, because hunting was so much easier with at least three, and Ed was needed behind the keyboard. With Faye's exceptional accounting skills and Jet to keep her honest and away from the casino's they had been able to stay completely in the black for five years. That meant that there was usually beef for Jet's beef and peppers stir-fry.  
  
Who'd a thunk it? Spike asked himself as he walked through the main living area toward the fridge. As he poured a glass of milk he could hear the 'ping ping ping' of Ed working in the 'garage.' "I think I'll go see what she's up to."  
  
Spike followed the sound to the very back of the room where he saw Ed's legs sticking out from under a strange looking vehicle on blocks. Her legs were bent at the knees and crossed one over the other and one was tapping to a beat as she continued with the pinging. From the waist down she was covered in grease and oil, so he was fairly sure that the top half matched.  
  
Spike sat down at a nearby table and watched the leg swing back and forth for a few minutes before he his eyes began to wander. He knew this was the place she had adopted as her personal space, so he risked life and limb by invading it uninvited, but he was used to risking life and limb, so what was new. There was tools scattered about the room, some on the floor near her, within easy reach, some piled on a work bench across the room, and several on the table next to his chair. There was also a large standing green chalkboard with a series of symbols written on it. He wasn't sure if it was a mathematical equation or a foreign language.  
  
"If you're going to be down here make yourself useful and hand me that ratchet with the 5/8 hexagonal attachment next you on the table, would ya?" Ed said without coming out from under the vehicle, but holding her hand out expectantly.  
  
"Yes ma'am." He sat staring at the tools next to him for a moment. Ed began to wiggle her fingers expectantly and he began to panic. Damn it, he thought, I'm the one that breaks things, I don't know anything about fixing them.  
  
Edward dragged herself out from under the car and came over to see what he was doing, not removing the headphones from her ears. She hid a grin at his helpless expression and reached over and picked it up. "This." She held the L-shaped shiny metal object under his nose.  
  
Before he could respond Jet yelled from the door way across the room, "Hey, Ed, Sean's on the communicator."  
  
"Coming." Ed ran out of the room.  
  
"Dang it!"  
  
Ed was sitting on the couch talking to someone on the communicator and Jet and Faye were sitting at the dinning room table they had added playing cards when Spike came in and nonchalantly sat down across from Ed.  
  
She was grinning at something the guy, "Sean," was saying to her, he assumed he was hitting on her. Spike decided to he didn't like a stranger hitting on Ed. An evil grin spread across his face. "Is that your boyfriend? His head is kinda small for his shoulders don't ya think?"  
  
Ed choked on her drink. Fortunately she didn't think Sean had heard him, but he did ask, "Are you OK, Ed. You look a little sick."  
  
She glared over the screen at Spike, "I'm fine, I just got a bad taste in my mouth is all." Spike made a face at her. "I have to go, Sean. I have to take care of something. I'll see you tomorrow when we land on Ganymede."  
  
"All right, I'll let everybody know where to meet us. Talk to you tomorrow."  
  
The screen blinked off and a book flew at Spike's head simultaneously. "What's the matter with you. He's not my boyfriend, he's a hacker. We share tips."  
  
"Is that what the kids are calling it these days. I'd a never guessed." Rage spread across her face as she prepared to attack. "So, where are we meeting people tomorrow?"  
  
"You are not meeting anyone tomorrow, I'm going to a mathematicians convention and you and Jet can take Faye to her OBGYN appointment."  
  
Spike shuddered at the thought of an office full of pregnant women staring at him. "I think I'll come with you, thank you very much."  
  
"Oh, like hell you will. You'll just be bored and start bugging people, and then I'll never be invited to come ever again."  
  
"It's just a hacker meeting, what's the big deal?"  
  
"It's not a hacker meeting, it's a mathematics meeting," she snapped.  
  
"A hacker meeting by any other name smells just as much like wiring." He watched her irritation grow with immense pleasure, but instead of lash out anymore she just stood up and walked out of the room, back to the garage.  
  
"Nice, Spike," Jet commented sarcastically from his viewing point in the kitchen as he massaged Faye's feet. Spike just smirked.


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry, the story was not supposed to be listed as a parody, I'm not sure how that happened because it wasn't listed as that before. Please forgive me please.  
  
A/N: Considering her previous method of transportation, the scooter, I thought she would like a dune buggy.  
  
Another authors note: to the person or people that feel the need to be ugly about their opinion on Spike's mortality, Cowboy Bebop is just a story that is left to the viewer to decide how it ends, so that is what we do here on this forum. If your post had been meant to be anything other than hurtful I would ignore it, but by going to every post series story and attacking them you are just, as my father would say, "lettin' your dumb hang out." Get over it, none of it is real, it is just a good story, which is why we care about the characters, but it is just a story.  
  
$$$$  
  
Early the next morning Ed was in her garage putting the apparent final touches on her car when Spike popped up with a duffle bag. "So, what exactly is this thing anyway?"  
  
"It is called a Dune Buggy. It is an open air off road vehicle. That means that it does not require pavement to drive on and it handles well on loose soil."  
  
"I know what off road means. Why didn't you just build a regular car like the one Jet and Faye are using?" He glanced to other end of the room where a standard four-door sedan was parked next to Jet's Hammerhead. Jet and Faye were turning into a boring married couple right before his eyes. Surprisingly, the thought of being half of a boring married couple was appealing. This alarmed him.  
  
Ed ignored him and continued with her work. Her hair was down today, falling to long red waves down her back. She wore ugly baggy green cargo pants and a fitted black tank top that made her look a little bit like she was out of an old American war flick or something. She slipped a jacket on that matched the pants as she prepared to climb in her car. She looked strangely appealing in this get up. He threw is duffle bag in the back of the car. "What do you think your doing?"  
  
"I'm coming with you, remember. We talked about this yesterday."  
  
Ed snatched the bag out of the car and dropped it on the ground. "I told you that you were not coming with me. I meant it."  
  
"Are you afraid your boyfriend will get jealous. I'll try to keep my hands under control," Spike retorted as he picked up his bag and dropped it back into the buggy.  
  
"For the last time, Sean is not my boyfriend, and he never will be if you come along," Ed snapped as she threw it on the ground again.  
  
Spike felt a moment of triumph, then a pang of disappointment as he once again placed his duffle in the car. "So you admit that you like him, then."  
  
"Of course I like him. He is a handsome, young, intelligent, nice man. What is not to like?"  
  
"Are you saying that I'm not nice?" Spike asked. By this time they were fighting over the luggage, trying to tear it from each other's grasp.  
  
"I'm saying you scare people, Spike. You're worse than Jet. People take one look at you and move back 3 paces." Her free hand was swinging wildly as she gestured and Spike had to duck to keep from getting smacked with it.  
  
Spike frowned at her. "In our line of work there is nothing wrong with being a little intimidating, and besides, you've never been afraid of me."  
  
"You met me ten years ago, right? I could control your ship with a toy remote control and had a scooter that went 60 miles an hour. If I didn't want you to track me down, you wouldn't have. The only reason you found me in the first place was because I let you. I had nothing to be afraid of."  
  
Crap, she was spunky. Spike vaguely remembered something someone once told him about red heads and tempers. He ignored the warning signs flashing bright red in the back of his mind. Not far behind Ed sat a can of used motor oil waiting to be disposed of. Ed reached behind her, grabbed it, and dumped it over his head. Once green hair was now a sticky black, and it ran down his back, ruining his suit. "Uh-oh, Spike-person needs a bath," she said, imitating her childhood self.  
  
Spike made a move to grab her and smear it on her as well, but she snatched up her trusty ratchet and held it in a defensive position. A sudden smirk spread across his face. "All right, you win. I won't go with you." He turned and walked out of the room, Ed watching him the entire way to be sure he didn't try anything.  
  
Faye was sitting on the couch in the living area as Spike walked passed on his way to the shower. "What happened to you!?" she exclaimed, jumping up as quickly as her growing frame would allow and moving the rug that was in his path.  
  
"Nothing," he responded, nonchalantly sticking his hands in his pockets and whistling.  
  
"Fine, don't tell me, just don't touch my stuff, you got that, Spike Spiegel, or there'll be Hell to pay!" she yelled after him. "And use your own soap!" The question of 'is soap self-cleaning' had yet to be answered.  
  
$$$$  
  
"Faye, are you ready to go yet, or what? The appointment is in an hour." Jet stood in the doorway of their shared bedroom watching her pack a small bag of supplies. "We'll be back before dark you know, you don't have to take half the ship with you."  
  
"Jet, you need to learn to relax." Faye stood up straight and looked over her shoulder at him. "I was just thinking it had been awhile since the two of us had a couple nights away from the ship. You know, get away from the fighting Ed and Spike, get a nice hotel room with a Jacuzzi, order room service. It might be our last chance before the baby comes, and then we'll have to be responsible parents." The vision of Spike headed toward the shower earlier this morning had convinced her.  
  
"Are you sure, I mean," Jet asked, concerned.  
  
Faye walked towards him in the most sultry fashion she could, being 6 months pregnant, and Jet had never seen anything more beautiful. "Of course I'm sure, it'll be great, you'll see."  
  
"All right, I'll get a change of clothes."  
  
Faye threw a bag at him. "I already packed for you. Let's go."  
  
$$$$  
  
Spike poured a third handful of Faye's shampoo into his hand and began working it into his hair. As he worked the mass of green hair into a lather he sent a prayer of thanks to whoever had installed a larger water heater, because this stuff did not want to come off. "At least I didn't get any in my eyes. That would've sucked." After one more wash of his hair he figured he was about as clean as he was going to get and climbed out of the shower. "Damn, no towels." He slid the door open and peeked out. It was quiet. "Hello, anyone there?" Silence.  
  
"I guess everyone's gone." He still dashed to his room.  
  
Spike dug a towel from his laundry pile and quickly dried off, then put on a clean suit with his trademark bad tie and yellow shirt. "Well, I have the ship to myself, what will I do until I decide to go crash Ed's party."  
  
Spike wandered the halls for a few minutes before he came the other bedrooms. The nursery was Fay's old room and the door had been painted pink with little flowers all over it. Ed got a little carried away with the decorating. Then there was Faye and Jet's room, boring. Ed's was next in the line, a little farther down the hall. "Interesting. If I do this and she finds out, she'll kill me." He opened the door.  
  
Nothing about the room struck him at first, it seemed to be a typical early twenties female's room, a little messy with clothes surrounding the laundry basket, but few actually making it in. She did have a bigger bed than his though, hmmm, and unmade. It had a deep red bedspread with dark flowers on it and an abundance of frilly pillows, and in the center of the bed lay a piece of electrical equipment she had apparently been working on and fallen asleep. "I guess she plans to finish it when she gets back."  
  
She had a desk on one wall were the famous Tomato slept and in one corner there was a doggie bed where Ein used to sleep. In the opposite corner was the pot from when they were chasing Vincent on Mars. The walls were covered in pictures. Most were of the Bebop crew at various stages of their lives. He was even in a couple of the ones from 10 years ago.  
  
"Hmmm, where did this come from?" On the wall was a picture of himself walking down the street with Julia. He even recognized the time and place. Seven years ago when they were on Jupiter. It was one of the few quiet weekends they had together.

$$$$

As always, read and review.  
  
See later Space Cowboy.  
  
PS: just saw the movie, had to include the old pot Ed was climbing in. 


	4. Chapter 4

I'm listening to the soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever as I write it. Bee Gee's rock on.  
  
$$$$  
  
"Well, Mrs. Black, everything looks fine so far. I need you to continue with your prenatal vitamins and I will see you in one month. After that we'll make semi-monthly appointments until the baby comes. Have you picked a pediatrician yet?"  
  
Faye and Jet looked at each other. "No, should we?" Jet had never taken Ed to the doctor when she was a kid. Not even when they had found her, but the nature of the illness sent red flags up. Neither of them thought it wise to advertise her whereabouts at the time.  
  
The doctor nodded, looking at them curiously. "You did say that you had raised a child before, right?"  
  
"It's a long story, she was half grown when she came to us," Jet responded quickly.  
  
"Oh, well, I can recommend one. Dr. Aguypong is very good, here is her number. Just call her office in the morning and let her nurse know when you're due. We'll just call her when the baby arrives and it should be fine." He tore a sheet of paper with a number on it and handed it to them. "See you in a month, just stop by the receptionist by and set up the time, and don't hesitate to call if you have any questions."  
  
$$$$  
  
"Ok Jet, what do you want to eat for dinner tonight." Faye Valentine Black sat in the middle of the hotel bed with a phone book in her hands. "We have Chinese, Japanese, American, French, German, and Italian."  
  
"How about Chinese?" Jet asked as he came out of the bathroom wiping his face clean with a towel.  
  
Faye looked up at him with a disgusted expression, "But I'm in the mood for Hibachi."  
  
Jet frowned down at her, "Then why did you bother asking me?" Anger flared in her face, but before she could fly into a hormone charged rage he jumped on the bed next to her and pulled her down next to him, giving her a quick kiss on the lips. "We'll eat were ever you want. I'll even put on the suit you packed for me."  
  
She smiled down at him, "That is more like it mister. I've trained you well."  
  
$$$$  
  
Ed was having a good time. Spike was nowhere to be seen, her hacker friends were telling of their most recent exploits, and she had a quality cappuccino sitting in front of her. Life was good. She came out of her musings to hear Sandra. "First I hacked into the system and put a bounty on the Chief of Police in New Austin on Jupiter, then I hacked into the security system of their headquarters and put a live feed from the camera in his office on the jumbotron in the busiest part of the city. The look on his face was priceless when they raided his office. I set it up to run over and over on their web site. It took them three days to get it off."  
  
Everyone laughed at the story, including Ed, even though she found it a little bit on the amateurish side. It was funny. Out of the corner of her eye she thought she saw something green. No, he wouldn't, she thought. She peeked around the frame of Sean, who had taken residence in the outside seat of the booth. I'll kill him. "Excuse me for a moment." She turned into a boneless version of herself and slid under the table like only Ed could, then she proceeded toward the door just as Spike was entering. She grabbed his ear and dragged him right back out.  
  
"Ow, ow, ow. Let go, that hurts." Spike leaned down as far as he could without falling over.  
  
Once outside she released her prisoner. "What are you doing here? Don't you have somebody else to pester for one day?"  
  
Spike feigned concentration for a long moment, then shook his head, "Nope, you're the only person I can think of to harass today. Well, maybe your little friend, Sean, if you'll introduce me."  
  
Ed knew she wasn't going to get rid of him. She sighed, "Alright, you can stay, but you'll have to follow a few rules." She gave him a hard glare. Spike nodded his consent. "First rule, these people are hackers, we all have prices on our heads for breaking into government and/or syndicate systems, including me. So far, neither group has figured out what any of us look like. Professional courtesy dictates that you will not ask them their hacker names or be tempted to arrest anyone today, do you understand?" Spike nodded again. "Second, these people are my friends, you will pick on them as little as possible. This includes Sean, you are not my father, only Jet can act menacing toward my potential dates." Spike nodded, this time more grudgingly. "And third, if you stay, you're paying for my food and drink." Spike looked about to protest. "Those are the rules, take them of leave them."  
  
Spike thought for a brief moment, then nodded. "Agreed. I promise to behave."  
  
Ed led him into the diner and to the corner booth where six sets of eyes were looking at them curiously. "Everybody, I would like to introduce you to an old friend of mine. This is Spike. Spike this is Sean, Rob, Sandra, Matt, Cedric, and Wilhelmina." Sean scooted farther into the booth and Ed and Spike sat down. The two girls and Cedric flashed him a coy smile and Sean glared at him over Ed's head.  
  
Rob cleared his throat, "Ok, as I was saying. The Aluna Pharmaceuticals Company's new system seems to be pretty well designed. I think they got Alex to design it, since he is the only one to get arrested in the last year." Rob shook his head and sighed. "I told him not to hack into the Big Dog's system while he was on the surface, but you know how stubborn he can be. I think Ed and the Gato de Roja are the only two that could break into that system and be able to cover their tracks well enough without being in orbit or open space."  
  
"Who's the Gato de Roja?" Spike asked.  
  
"No knows for sure. We think he's on Venus. He just recently came onto the scene. What, maybe a year and a half ago?" Cedric piped up effeminately. "He's good though. Every once in a while he just pops up in the Big Shot show. He isn't much for sharing technique with the rest of us."  
  
Spike swiped a fry from Ed's plate as he nodded. "I see." He had a suspicious look on his face. He would investigate later.  
  
The meal went on with no further incident. Spike was true to his word, besides the evil glares he shot this 'Sean' person he was all charm. He didn't like the look of him, with his dark hair and blue eyes, and that pasty skin. The boy needed to get out more. From the stories they were telling he was an expectable hacker, but nothing compared to Ed. As far as Spike was concerned, Sean wasn't good enough for her. But he would keep his opinion to himself until the little group was gone.  
  
Spike was enormously glad when the day was over, especially since most of what was said that day made absolutely no sense. The only thing he learned that day was that pressing control, alt, and delete at the same time could be very bad depending on what you were doing. Ed seemed to have a good time, though, laughing and joking and flirting. Bleugh.  
  
As they disbanded Sean looked down at Ed. "Do you need me to walk me to your car?" he asked, eyeing Spike. How insulting is that?  
  
Ed looked behind her at the man feigning injury. "That won't be necessary. Spike is pretty harmless. Give me a call tomorrow and I'll give you some pointers on that new hacker program."  
  
"Sure, and I'll find out where Pippa got that processor. You did say that you were looking for one for the Bebop main operating system, right?"  
  
Ed flashed him a winning smile. "That would be great." She hugged each of her friends goodbye before turning to the door, Spike following closely behind.  
  
"Oh man, that is one sexy man," Cedric whistled as he watched him leave.  
  
Wilhelmina hit him on the back of the head as she put her coat on. "Shut up. He was staring at Ed the entire time. Sean, sorry to tell you this, but you don't stand a chance."  
  
$$$$  
  
"So, how did you get out here, Spike, take the Swordfish?" she asked him as she made her way to her Dune Buggy.  
  
He reached down behind the car and picked up a motorized scooter, "Nope, borrowed this. It was quite the ride."  
  
Ed laughed when she saw her old toy. "I can't believe you rode that and made it here in on piece." Spike rolled up his sleeve to reveal a nasty looking scrape. "Never mind."  
  
Spike looked up at the setting sun and stretched. "Want to go for a walk before we head back to the ship? It is a nice night after all."  
  
"Sure," Ed shrugged after a moment of contemplation. "We can swing by the computer parts store if it is still open. I promised Jet I would overhaul the Hammerhead this week."  
  
They walked in silence for about twenty minutes, each with their own thoughts. Finally Ed interrupted the stillness, "I was sorry to hear about Julia. We all new how much you cared about her. It must have been hard to go through that all alone the way you did."  
  
Spike shrugged. "I'm used to dealing with that kind of thing alone, but I was wondering how you guys heard about it."  
  
"Jet told his friends at ISSP 10 years ago to let him know if they heard anything about you and to keep him in the loop. You've got friends that care a lot about you, Spike."  
  
"I know. I guess He'll always be the papa bear of our dysfunctional little family."  
  
Ed laughed outright. "You have no idea. Every time a boy showed any interest in me he called 'Bob the Police Officer' to check if they had ever been arrested. He has put a real crimp in my love life."  
  
"So your little friend Sean has checked out, huh?" This disappointed him.  
  
Before she answered strange music filtered into the street. "I love this song, come on." Ed grabbed his hand and dragged him closer to the sound, then turned and looked up at him, flashing a brilliant smile. "Dance with me."  
  
"WHAT? I don't think so. I don't dance." Spike pulled his hand free and held it up in front of himself as he backed away, but Edward would have none of it.  
  
"You do today." That's when the words to the song hit him. He had never heard it before, but it sounded old. She intertwined her fingers with his and started to lead him, refusing to let him back out.  
  
Hesitantly he began to dance with her as the music flowed. "OK, so who is this?"  
  
"KC and the Sunshine Band, Boogie Shoes." Then she started singing along, though maybe a little off key, but not much. Spike was impressed.  
  
Girl, to be with you is my fav'rite thing  
uh huh  
And I can't wait til I see you again  
yeah, yeah  
I want to put on my my my my my  
boogie shoes  
just to boogie with you, yeah  
I want to put on my my my my my  
boogie shoes just to boogie with you, uh huh  
I want to it it 'til the sun comes up  
uh huh, and I want to do it 'til  
I can't get enough, yeah, yeah  
I want to put on my my my my my  
boogie shoes  
just to boogie with you, yeah  
I want to put on my my my my my  
boogie shoes just to boogie with you  
uh huh, yeah yeah  
I want to put on my my my my my  
boogie shoes  
just to boogie, with you, yeah  
I want to put on my my my my my  
boogie shoes just to boogie with you, yeah  
  
It was a short song and it was over before he knew it, and though he hadn't been very good at the dancing, he did miss Ed's hands as they released his and she looked away. "You could be really good at dancing if you practiced a little. It's probably not much different from martial arts, moving to a rhythm and stuff. I'll have to take you to a disco tech or something. There's the store." Ed changed subjects so fast that Spike was left with his head spinning for a moment as he ran to catch up with Ed who had run into the computer supplies store.  
  
Edward on the other hand was trying to recover her composure. Fighting with Spike was one thing, but she wasn't sure if she was ready for the looks that Spike was giving her as they danced, and had tried to distract herself by singing. Ed was suddenly very glad for her deeply tanned skin.

$$$$  
  
I had to include a song from the soundtrack. I just couldn't resist. Now for the legal stuff: Boogie Shoes, KC & The Sunshine Band, H.W. Casey And R. Finch, copyright 1975, 1976 sherlyn publishing co.  
  
Read and review.  
  
Hugs, Chef Erica.


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry this has taken so long, I worked 6 nights in a row in the ER and was plum tuckered out.

$$$$

Ed stood chained backwards with her face pressed against a cold stone wall. Her shirt was torn down the back and she was covered in bruises and split skin, her legs barely able to hold her up. She could hear Ein, also chained, nearby desperately struggling to get to her.  
  
"It's ok Ein. Just sit down. We'll go home soon. Edward can take you to the Bebop. Would Ein like that?" She heard him whine briefly as heavy footsteps approached and the door squeaked open. The room filled with a menacing aura and Ed knew who had come.  
  
"Hello, Edward, is it?" he hissed as he came up behind her. "Or, as Dr. Chou called you, the Emotionable Wight Hybrid Procedure Trial #4. Developed in the Solar System Military Genetics Lab, the first successful cross of human and animal DNA. Designed for stealth, speed, and intelligence, the ultimate spy and hacker. Able to climb, crawl, and run through anything, with a photographic memory, and unnatural cognitive abilities. You're worth a ridiculous amount of money, a thousand times more than your data dog over there." He grabbed a handful of short red hair. "The question is, do I sell you to the highest bidder, or do I keep you for myself."  
  
Ed made a gagging sound, disgusted by the insinuation. He slammed the side of her head against the wall. "That isn't very nice."  
  
"I thought you wanted Julia," Ed coughed out as she tried to clear her vision. She could feel the blood trickling past her ear.  
  
She could feel the rage radiating off of him as he seethed. "How do you know about Julia?"  
  
"You said it yourself, Ed is the perfect spy. Ed knows many things."  
  
Her head was jerked back again as he spat in her ear, "There is a reason why they call me Vicious!" The flesh on her back sizzled as a branding iron was pressed to her shoulder blade.  
  
"AAHHHH!"  
  
Ed snapped awake, drenched in sweat and searching for Ein. He always comforted her when she had the nightmares. His empty bed dragged her back to reality and her eyes filled with tears. It had been nearly a year, but she still felt the void that was left when he died. It was like a gaping wound in her chest that refused to heal.  
  
Ed choked back the tears. She wasn't going to get back to sleep tonight so she got up to put on some PJ's and watch television. As she passed the mirror on the closet door she glanced up and saw it. The hideous dragon brand glared back at her, sneering, as if to say, "You'll never be rid of me."  
  
She pulled an oversized t-shirt over her head and a pair of knit pants. With a yawn she opened her door and headed toward the kitchen. Maybe a glass of milk would help. That was Jet's cure-all for her, especially since her recovery. Jet and Faye went through an incredible protective phase right after she came back, and those first few months one of them was constantly on hand if she needed them. It was kind of annoying, but at the moment she would have given anything to have one of them there with her.  
  
Spike didn't know anything about it she was sure. Neither Jet nor Faye would betray her trust like that, but she couldn't help but wonder if Spike would understand more than anyone else.  
  
When she reached the kitchen she smiled when she heard the TV and light snoring coming from the living area. "Just like old times." After pouring her drink she set it on the coffee table and threw away the three beer bottles before gently moving Spike's feet and sitting next to him before swiping the remote. "Looks like he's cutting back on the alcohol."  
  
Not surprising was the movie that was on. Bruce Lee was dancing across the screen, killing any and all those that opposed him. "That's enough of that," she said out loud as she began channel surfing. Not much is on at 3 am other than infomercials, bad movies, porn, and Kung Fu of course, but Ed finally found some cartoons. Little blue elves she vaguely remembered being called Smurfs. This was confirmed when she realized that was also every other word they said.  
  
"What are you watching?" Spike asked as he stared through sleep- blurred eyes.  
  
"Nothing, just bored," Ed flicked the TV off and took a sip of her drink.  
  
Spike stretched and sat up, rubbing his eyes. "What time is it anyway?"  
  
Ed glanced around until she found a click that someone had remembered to changed the batteries in and pointed. "What are you doing up this late, I thought you went to bed hours ago."  
  
"Couldn't sleep. Thought I would get something to drink and try again."  
  
Spike leaned forward and peeked into her glass. He wrinkled his nose, "Milk, bleugh, when I can't sleep a shot of whisky usually does the trick."  
  
"Me and alcohol don't mix. It's the cat genes I think. My body produces too much melatonin. I did a shot of tequila on my eighteenth birthday and was out for 3 days. It took an adrenalin injection to wake me up."  
  
"What cat genes. You mean like denim, right?" Spike inquired, very confused.  
  
Ed wrinkled her brow at his question, "Surely you know. I thought Jet told you years ago. I'm like 1/3 feline DNA."  
  
"No, I think Jet failed to mention that little tidbit of information," Spike snapped, unsure why Jet wouldn't trust him. "Why wouldn't he tell me?"  
  
"I don't know, maybe the massive bounty that has been on my head since the day I escaped from the lab, and the fact that you didn't particularly like me when I was a kid. That really isn't motivation to keep me around."  
  
Spike frowned at her, knowing that most of what she said was true, but if nothing else, he was loyal and wouldn't have turned her in if Jet didn't want him to, and he did like her when she was a kid, or at least had gotten used to her presence. One of the two. "So, how much are you worth anyway?" Spike asked.  
  
"That all depends on who you're turning me in to," she answered in total trust and without hesitation. "A couple syndicates would pay a pretty penny for me and the lab that developed me, the last time I checked the bounty was at 400,000,000 woolongs. The military doesn't like losing expensive stuff like me."  
  
"So the guy that you called your dad was really..."  
  
"The person that helped me escape," Ed finished. "He wasn't always that absent minded, I think he got hit in the head or something, I'm not too sure. He was a research assistant in charge of my simulations. I was five when he was introduced to me, but with growth hormones I looked ten. He snuck in one night about a year later and helped me slip out."  
  
Spike wasn't sure what to think about this new discovery, so instead he grabbed the remote, turned the TV back on and flipped back to the Kung Fu movie, Bruce Lee was his favorite. Ed breathed a sigh of relief when he said, "That sure explains a lot. I always knew you couldn't be all human. Unfortunately this means I owe Faye 200W, because I bet her that you were an alien."

$$$$

I know that this only makes Ed about 16 or 17 years old, but life experiences have aged her, please forgive me. I just felt that Ed would not be able to be that innocent living on her own like that for that long, especially on earth, even with her hermit like ways.  
  
Also, Emotionable and Wight are words, even if it looks weird. Emotionable obviously means that one is capable of feeling emotions and wight means human. I chose those words because they matched up with Ed's name. 


End file.
